Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'India still has a long way to go in matter of space technology' that was published in Newsband

India still has a long way to go in matter of space technology

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite. That puts the country in an exclusive club of space super powers. This operation which was called Mission Shakti was lauded by the opposition too. The opposition praised DRDO and ISRO but hit out at PM Modi.

India has successfully tested the Anti-Satellite (A-SAT) Missile. The satellite was a pre-determined target orbiting at an altitude of 300 km. The Prime Minister did not say who owned the satellite. Mission Shakti, which was led by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, was aimed at strengthening India’s overall security. MissionShakti was a highly complex one, conducted at extremely high speed with remarkable precision.

India is only the fourth country to acquire such a specialised and modern capability after the US, Russia and China. The entire effort is indigenous.

We need to bear in mind that we started from scratch and then came up to mangalyaan and today to ASAT. We shouldn’t forget that we still have a long way to go in matter of space technology.

We are supposed to have joined elite list of countries with this capability. Where do we stand amongst countries in matter of other developmental goals? Our smart cities have sewers overflowing, draining into lakes. Swatch Bharat is going nowhere, neither is Ganga cleanup plan. How about showing that we can join elite list of countries who provide high quality education for everyone, provide clean water and air to enable human development? Our neighboring countries seem to be doing better. In terms of S&T what achievements, breakthroughs, innovations do we have compared to so-called elite countries?        

Congrats to DRDO and ISRO scientists and team on their well-deserved success. But former DRDO chief Dr VK Saraswat, earlier in the day, told that the UPA government didn't give a positive response on anti-satellite testing. This just shows that the UPA government is ready to sacrifice national security for its personal interest. All those people who said PM Modi didn't do anything, to them – at least he is smart enough to make bold decisions with regard to national security.

It is a proud moment to stand with U.S.A., Russia, and China on Technology front, but now the issue is of setting top priority in using country's limited resources for development of the standard of living of Indian Public.

This nation, very unfortunately, has more than its fair share of sycophants who would willingly put up with nepotism and dynasty politics. Despite the facts and figures available in the public domain which clearly point to the utter incompetence and widespread corruption prevalent in such dynastic set-ups some people would still defend these dynasts and champion their claim to the "throne" as their birthright. The sense of entitlement simply refuses to accept the changed realities of modern India.